4
CHRISTIAN. HEfiAtD
for the missionaries to have a dis in the generation in which we live
pute and separate as Paul arid Bar and not in the apostles’ age. The
nabas, and we have the modem work of the early church is done,
whether well or not, our work is
example in Norton and Wharton.
Certainly when we send a yet, to do.
It seems to me that some scribes
preacher among the Jews we should
circumcise him, for thus did Paul. use the name of the Lord as talis-
irTauTnkifows’To-aay the use
made of his conduct and writings, to my other quotation from Phill.,
and is of the same spirit he was on where Paul says whatsoever is true,
&c. It seems to me he thinks a
earth, he is rending his garments
and tearing his hair worse than thing is true just because Jesus or
■when the heathens brought out the Paul said it and not that they said
oxen-"ami - garUnds
offet—him it because it is true.
/sacrifice. ’ Just as there are many
“ Troth is truth-.whorever found
On Christian or on heathen ground.”
things then done which we are not
About singing—I contend as I
to do now, so there are many
things we may and should do now, did before—-Jesus never taught one
that were not done then. We do sylable with regard to it. It is
•many, why don’t we acknowledge time the disciples sang after they
the principle throughout and thus ate the supper; but it is also true
be consistent. We have no account that this was before the church and
of the disciples building a meeting the same evening they ate the
house, but we build them. This passover. Now if one is an author
gives rise to many things, that ity so is the other. So we read
robust common sense and Christian also anciently of their playing on
forbearance must settle. Among instruments, and Paul refers to it.
these are location, style of architec- Paul and Silas sang in the jail.
ture, furnishing,_ incorporation, Yes, Paul says in Col. 3: 16, to
“teach“awl admonish in -psaimw,
trustees, &c, &c.
If Bro. Anderson does not know hymns and spiritual songs’. But
that these having been sources of does Bro. A. not know that there
strife and di vision he does not know has been division over what we
much of the history of so-called shall sing, &c., &c., and that music
Christianity. Even the subject of has won its way from psalm chant
warming the house with a stove ing to written music and human
has been a subject of dispute be composition, from one part in music
cause there was no divine authority to many, from no method of pitch
ing a tune to the tuning-fork and“
for it.
In the assembling of the saints finally to the'^nstrumental accom
the virtue is not in the simple paniment ?
Now there are some things we
coming together, for as Paul says
that may be for the worse and not ought to know. It was just as
proper and honest and necessary to
for the better.
The means used for edification compensate |he man who preaches
when together has been made a the gospel before Paul said it as it
question of fellowship, and so has was afterward. So it was just as
the kind of houses, &c. Now if proper to praise Gori with song or
Anderson means that the mere instrument before Paul spoke about
question of coming together because it as afterward. Why did he not
of the injunction, “ neglect not, &c.,” tell the brethren at Rome just what
without regard to the profit of the he did those at Colosse if it was so
coming together, I for one would very necessary to specify just what
never make it a question of the and how they must sing ?
Now my brother admits the use
fellowship of a brother.
I think it makes no difference of an instrument is not wrong, and
whether the early disciples cooper well he may, for anciently it was
ated together to preach the gospel, used by God’s approval, if he ad
or whether the apostles instructed mits the Jewish system was of God.
them to or not. If we can the But he says what is right in one
more effectually preach by cooper place may be wrong in another,
ating, then we should. This effort and cites the Corinthian church.
to find an example for a missionary My brother does not surely think
society in the apostles’ days, which that the sin Paul rebukes was that
if found woulcfnot suit our age is i the Corinthians brought their sup-
the chief cause of failure in our • per and ate it in a house which he
calls the house ^of God, or that the
missionary enterprises.
The Lord will hold us to account , whole church gathered together and
for our opportunities and abilities i eating supper would be a sin ?
Paul rebukes them for eating to amount of the evidence that he was
gluttony and drinking to drunken- à part of the officiary and in every
ess, and this for the Lord’s supper. congregation. But I forbear. •
That would have been wrong any
BIBLE TALKS.
where. But did tho disciples not
hold meetings in their dwelling
BY M. B. LEMERT.
houses where they were accustomed
i
NUMBER XVI.
propriateness as to time and place,
but a thing that is right per se is
never wrong any place and a thing
wrong per se is never right any
place. There is as much more that
needs to be said about interpreting
and applying Scripture which I
must not take the space to say now.
One more thing I desire to refer
to before closing. In my reference
to officers I did not design discus
sing that question, neither do I
now. I merely referred to it to
illustrate the tendency to ecclesias-
ticism and then our desire to bolster
up our view with the Bible to
support our bibliolatry.
With
reference to the elders ruling—there
is no such thing as ruling after the
order of men with God. In other
words God does not clothe or invest
withauthority some one who has
not the qualification natural or
supernatural for the position, and
then make his acts because official
right;
Jesus is the Savior of the world
because in character and nature he
necessarily can and will save all
who come unto God by him, and
not because he has been inducted
into the official position because of
his fitness in truth and verity. As
to the deacon, I am making no
war upon the office or official. I
say it cannot be shown from the
New Testament, because it is not
in it, that there was a servant of
the church having the official title
of diakonis, whose duties were to
pass the emblems, look after the
finances, see to the poor, &c., &c.
If those appointed at Jerusalem are
referred to as an example then I
say their work was special and
soon ended, and those whose history
we read afterward—Stephen and
Phillip were then preaching.
When the contribution wga sent
to Jerusalem it was sent by apostles
to the Elders.
The qualifications required do
not se<om especially necessary for
the work we give the deacon, and
nowhere else that I rememlier of is
his work referred to, except where
he has used the office well he has
secured great boldness in the faith,
and Paul in addressing the Phillip-
ians addresses them with their
Bishops and deacons. This is the
Israel crossed the Jordan on dry
land the tenth day of the first
month, and on the 14th, at evening,
ate the passover on the plains of
Jerico, just forty years to a day
after it was instituted in Egypt,
The night tKey"were thrust out by*
Pharaoh. The passover was a
monumental institution, to be ob
served annually, after they came
into possession of theif land, and as
it was eaten with unleavened
bread, it became known as the
feast of unleavened bread. This
feast Jesus ate of, with his dis
ciple, the night he was arrested.
The next day after IsraeF kept the
passover near Jerico, they ate of
the old com of the land, and the
manna ceased—the manna which
had been rained from heaven
w>gr.Uriy nî-r
.
for near forty years, fell no more.
Israel had become used to miracles.
That generation knew not what it
was to live without the presence
and aid of miracles. •’ Having been I
delivered from Egyptian bondage
and taken through the sea by
miracles, they were then fed by I
miracles—bread and quails rained
down to them; a flintly rock fol
lowed them and gave ’them water
to drink; their clothes and shoes
became not old by use, and a cloud
gave them shade by day and light
by night. So, for forty years, they
were never without some miraculous
manifestation of the fatherly care
of God over them, as his people.
But these things were not always
to be; after getting into Canaan,
where sustenance of all kinds
abounded, their food, drink and
clothing were no longer to be fur
nished by miracle, but in the or
dinary way.
At first, miracles, great and
estounding, were indispensable, to
reveal God to Israel as the Al
mighty, the ever living One. Then
his almighty power must often be
exhibited in their behalf, to secure
their confidence, and enable them
to trust him always. He must
first show himself to be their loving
Friend, their Rock, a very present
Help in time of trouble, before he
could require them to trust in him.
So, thus far, they had found the
Almighty arm on which they had
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